Insulated cleat



B. G. JANSSON.

INSULATED CLEAT. APPLICATION FILED mus, 1911.

41,366,661 Patented Jan. 25, 19210 UNITED, STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BENNETT G. JANSSON, OF SAUG'US, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOB T0 0. CHANDLER I BLAKE, OF BROOKLINE, MASSACHUSETTS.

INSULATED GLEAT.

which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to fastenlngs which are used in telephone construction to secure telephone wires to woodwork.

These telephone wires are usually secured to the woodwork either by an insulated staple which straddles the (wires or by a nail having a shank which, passes between the wires. The staple carries a saddle of fiberwhich protects the insulating'covers on the wires from the corrosive action of the metal ofthe staple. The nail, whichhas a wider range of utilitythan the staple, does not afford the insulating properties of the staple as the shank of'thenail in being driven between the wires often cuts through the cover of the wires and forms a connection therebetween. Moreover, it is easy to knock the head of the nail from the shank during the wire-securing operation with the result that the sharp prongs for holding the head tothe nail are exposed as a menace to the hands or clothing.

into hard woods without danger of the head I becoming separated from the body portion of the nail.

To the accomplishment of these objects,

and such others as mayhereinafter appear, the various features of the present invention relate to certain devices, combinations, arrangements of parts and methods of manufacture fully set forth hereinafter, the advantages of which will be readily understood by those skilled in'the art.

The various features of he present invention will-be readily understood from an in spection 'of the accompanying drawings illustrating the best form of, the invention at present devised, in which- I Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of the die for producingthe improved fastening with a strip of fabric for the cap positioned for the operation of the (linker;

: Specification of Letters Patent.

G. J ANss'dN,

' plunger between the wires.

Patented Jan. 25, 1921.

-.App1icatio n filed January 23, 1 917. Serial No. 144,034.

lfig. 2 shows the cap dinked out of the strlp and the nail with the cleat assembled thereon positioned for the operation of the ,Fig. 8 shows the plunger partially elevated with the cap molded over the head of the cleat; I

Fig. 4 shows the plunger at the end ofits stroke with the bod of the cleat compressed 1 upon the nail, wit the head of the cleat compressed within the skirt of the cap, and with thewire-separating teat formed upon the bottom of the cleat;

Fig. 5 is a vertical section of the insulated fastenin embodying the features of the present invention;

Fi 6 is a vertical section of the present .telep one wire-fastening nail; and

Fig. 7 is a detail of the nail shown in Flg. 6 with the head thereof removed.

' The present commercial nail for securing -telephone wires to woodwork comprises a "na l 1 (Figs. 6 and 7) the shank of which carries a metal strip 2 having a pair of prongs 3 formed thereon. These prongs are forced into a button 4 molded from paper ulp. In driving this nail into woodwork in order to secure a pair of telephone wires 5, the point of the shank often cuts into the cover of the wires and forms a connection Moreover, the strip 2 sometimes is driven through the cover and short-circuits the wires 5. In driving this nail into hard woods the hammer blows separate the button 4 from the prongs 3 and theseprongs are then free to injure ,the hands or clothing. As the button 4 is molded from paper pulp it is necessary to paint the nail in order to render its appearance attractive. This painting operation is performed by tumbling the nails in a barrel containing paint. The shank of the nail is thus provided with a coat of paint which seriously interferes with the penetration of the shank into wood thus necessitating the delivery of hard blows on the button 4 to drive fiber imparts an attractive appearance to with a concave shoulder 10 for engaging the wires. The cleat 7 is compressed upon the nail 6 and is bound in compressed condition on the nail by a binder or cap 11 which is molded over the head of the cleat. The cap is preferably molded from a disk of fiber and consequently no painting operation is necessary as the natural finish of the the nail.

With this construction there is no danger of the nail forming a connection between the telephone wires as the part of the nail adjacent the wires is wood. The nail may be severely pounded. while being driven into hard woods as the cap 11 securely holds the cleat 7 on the nail 6. Furthermore as the fiber disk is comparatively thin all the blows delivered on the cap are transmitted without loss to the nail head.

In makin the fastening, an ordinary nail 12 (Fig. 2) is driven through the center of a cylindrical block of wood in such manner that the head of the nail is embedded in the upper surface of the block. Conveniently, the nail and block are assembled and then positioned on an arm 14 in a die 15 having a support 16 for a strip of fiber 17. Thedie is provided with a dinker 18 which dinks out a disk 19 (Fig. 2) from the sheet of fiber. A

. plunger 20 is then elevated to lift the assembled nail and block from the arm 14 and position it against the disk 19. Continued" ity. Continued elevation. of the plunger forcibly pushes the nail, block and molded disk into this cavity whereupon the block is compressed upon the. nail and molded within the depending skirt of the cap. At the same time the upper end of the plunger 20 forms the teat 8 and concave Wire-engaging shoulder 10. 1

After the insulated nail is formed in the manner illustrated in Fig. 4 the chamber 22 bodying the several features of the inven tion in theirpreferred form having been specifically described, what is claimed as new, 1s:--

1. A fastening, having, in combination, a nail, an insulating cleat compressed thereon and having the nail head embedded therein,

and a binder for preventing the separation of the cleat and nail under hammer blows, substantially as described.

2. A fastening, having, in combination, a nail, a cleat carried thereby, and a cap for binding the cleat on the nail, substantially as described.

3. A fastening, having, in combination, a nail, a cleat carried'thereby, and a cap sunk into the material of the cleat for binding the cleat on the nail, substantially as described. 5

4. A fastening, having, in combination, a nail, a cleat carried thereby ,and a cap molded over the head of the cleat, substantially as described.

5. A fastening, having, in combination, a nail, a cleat carried thereby, and a cap molded into the material of the cleat, substantially as described. I

6. A fastening, having, in combination, a nail, a cap provided with a circumferentially depending skirt, and a cleat on the nail having a compressed head confined within the skirt of the cap, substantially as described.

7. A fastening, having, in combination, a nail, an insulating cleat compressed thereon, and a binder for holding the cleat in compressed condition on the nail, substantially as described.

8. A fastening, comprising a nail havin a head thereon,.an insulating body inclosing V the head of the nail so that the head is within the body and near the surface thereof farthest from the nail.

BENNETT G. JANSSON. 

